A conventional selective call device, e.g., a receiver and/or transmitter, often can receive messages from more than one source. Sources are distinguished from each other typically by identifying information associated with each message. When an address information correlates or matches a predetermined address in the selective call device, the selective call device receives and stores the message from a particular information source.
Modern selective call services or service providers are capable of sending multiple types of data including information services, for example, stock market updates, weather, sports, news or other information, periodically to a subscribing selective call device (receiver or transceiver). Before long, hundreds of information services are likely to be broadcast to selective call devices. With this rapid expansion, the number of available information services will easily exceed the amount of information a selective call device can easily receive or search through for locating the information to which it has subscribed. The selective call device, being a small portable device, is unable to retain or store such large volume of data until the user is able or ready to read or receive the received and stored messages. Any attempt to retain such large volume of information associated with an information service-type selective call device would significantly increase the cost and size of the selective call device because of the amount of memory that would be needed.
Thus, what is needed is a method for enabling the selective call device to subscribe to various information services without significantly increasing the size and cost of the device by requiring an excessive amount of memory to retain the various information services for a suitable period of time.